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Message  of  the 
Conf  Pam  12mo  #97 


MESSAGE  OF  THE  PRESIDENT. 


To  the  Senate   and   House  of  Representatives 

of  the  Confederate  States  of  America. 

Havincr  recently  received  written  notification  which  satisfied  me 
that  the  President  of  the  United  Stares  was  disposed  to  confer  in- 
formally with  unofficial  agents,  that  might  be  seftt  bv  me  with  a 
view  to  the  restoration  of  peace,  I  requested  the  Flon.  Alexander  H. 
Stephens,  the  Hon.  K.  U.  T.  Hunter,  and  the  Hon  John  A.  Camp- 
bell to  proceed  turough  our  lines  and  to  hold  conference  with  Mr. 
Lincoln,  or  such  persons  as  he  might  depute  to  represent  him. 

I  herewith  submit,  for  the  information  of  Congress,  the  report 
of  the  eminent  citizens  above  named,  showing  that  the  enemy  re- 
fused to  enter  into  negotiations  with  the  Confederate  States,  or 
an}'  one  of  them  separately,  or  t0  give  to  our  people  any  other 
terms  or  guaranties  than  those  which  a  conqueror  may  grant,  or  to 
permit  us  to  have  peace  on  any  other  basis  than  unconditional  sub- 
mission^ their  rule,  coupled  with  the  acceptance  of  their  recent 
legislation,  including  an  amendment  to  the  constitution  for  the 
emancipation  of  all  the  negro  slaves,  and  wirh  the  right  on  the 
part  of  the  Federal  Congress,  to  legislate  on  the  subject  of  the 
relations  between  the  white  and  black  population  of  each  State. 
Such  is,  as  1  understand,  the  effect  of  the  amendment  to  the  con- 
stitution which  has  been  adopted  by  the  Congress  of  the  United 
States. 

JEFFERSON  DWIS. 
February  6th.  1865. 


REPORT  OF  THE  COMMISSIONERS. 

Richmond,  Va.,  5th  February,  1865. 
To  the  President  of  the  Confederate  States  : 

Sir  :— Under  your  letter  of  appointment  of  the  28th  ult.,  we  pro- 
ceeded to  seek  an  "  informal  confererce  "  with  Abraham  Lincoln. 
President  of  the  United  States,  upon  the  subject  mentioned  in  the 
letter.  The  conference  was  granted,  and  took  place  on  the  3d  inst.. 
on  board  of  a  steamer  anchored  in  Hampton  Roads,  where  we  met 
President  Lincoln  and  the  Hon.  Mr.  Seward,  Secretary  of  State  of 
the  United  States.  It  continued  for  several  hours,  and  was  both  full 
and  explicit.  We  learned  from  them  that  the  message  of  President 
Lincoln  to  the  Congress  of  the  Ignited  States,  in  December  last,  ex- 
plains clearly  and  distinctly  his  sentiments  as  to  the  terms,  condi- 
tions and  method  of  proceeding,  by  which  peace  can  be  secured  to 
the  people,  and  we  were  not  informed  that  they  would  be  modified 
or  altered  to  obtain  that  end.  We  uuderstood  from  him  that  no 
terms  or  proposals  of  any  treaty  or  agreement  looking  to  an  ulti- 
mate settlement,  would  be  entertained  or  made  by  him  with  the 
authorities  of  the  Confederate  States,  because  that  would  be  a  re- 
cognition of  their  existence  as  a  separate  power,  which  under  no 
circumstances  would  be  done  ;  and  for  like  reasons  that  no  such 
terms  would  be  entertained  by  him  from  the  States  separately  ;  that 
no  extended  truce  or  armistice  (as  at  present  advised)  would  be 
granted  or  allowed,  without  a  satisfactory  assurance,  in  advance, 
of  a  complete  restoration  of  the  authority  of  the  constitution  and 
laws  of  the  United  States  over  all  places  within  the  States  of  the 
Confederacy.  That  whatever  consequences  may  follow  from  the 
re-establishment  of  that  authority,  must  be  accepted.  But  that  in- 
dividuals, subject  to  pains  and  penalties  under  the  laws  of  the  United 
States,  might  rely  upon  a  very  liberal  use  of  the  power  confided  to 
him  to  remit  those  pains  and  penalties,  if  peace  be  restored. 

Durina:  the  conference,  the  proposed  amendments  to  the  consti- 
tution of  the  United  States,  adopted  by  Congress  on  the  31st  ult., 
were  brought  to  our  notice.  These  amendments  provide  that 
neither  slavery  nor  involuntary  servitude,  except  for  crime,  should 
exist  within  the  United  States,  or  any  place  within  their  jurisdic- 
tion, and  that  Congress  should  have  power  to  enforce  this  amend- 
ment by  appropriate  legislation. 

Of  all  the  correspondence  that  preceded  the  conference  herein 
mentioned  and  leading  to  the  same,  you  have  heretofore  been  in- 
formed. 

Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servants, 

(Signed)        ALEXANDER  H.  STEPHENS, 
R.  M.  T.  HUNTER, 
J.  A.  CAMPBELL. 


%-t 


EXTRACT  FROM  MR.  LINCOLN'S  MESSAGE  OF  DECEM- 
BER LAST.  REFERRED  TO  IN  THE  FOREGOING  RE- 
PORT. 

The  public  purpose  to  re-establish  and  maintain  the  national 
authority  is  unchanged,  and,  as  we  believe,  unchangeable.  The 
manner  of  continuing  the  effort  remains  to  choose.  On  careful 
consideration  of  all  the  evidence  accessible,  it  seems  to  me  that  no 
attempt  at  negotiation  with  the  insurgent  leader  could  result  in  any 
good  He  would  accept  of  nothing  short  of  the  severance  of  the 
Union.  Hi3  declarations  to  this  effect  are  explicit  and  oft  repeat- 
ed. He  does  not  attempt  to  deceive  us.  He  offers  us  no  excuse 
to  deceive  ourselves.  We  cannot  voluntarily^  yield  it.  Be- 
tween him  and  ns  the  issue  is  distinct,  simple  and  inflexible^  It  is 
an  issue  which  can  only  be  tried  by  war,  and  decided  by  victory. 
If  we  yield  we  are  beaten.  If  the  Southern  people  fail  him  he 
is  beaten ;  either  way  it  would  be  the  victory  and  defeat  follow- 
ing war.  What  is  true,  however,  of  him  who  beads  the  insur- 
gent cause,  is  not  necessarily  true  of  those  who  follow.  Although 
he  cannot  re-accept  the  Union,  they  can.  Some  of  them  we  know 
already  desire  peace  and  reunion.  The  number  of  such  may  in- 
crease. They  can  at  any  moment  have  peace  simply  by  laying 
down  their  arms  and  submitting  to  the  national  authority  under 
the  constitution.  After  so  much  the  government  could  not,  if  it 
would,  maintain  war  against  them.  The  loyal  people  would  not 
sustain  or  allow  it.  If  questions  should  remain,  we  would  ad- 
just them  by  the  peaceful  means  of  legislation,  conference,  courts 
and  votes.  Operating  only  in  constitutional  and  lawful  channels, 
some  certain  and  other  possible  questions  are  and  would  be  be- 
yond the  executive  power  to  adjust,  ad  for  instance,  the  admission 
of  members  into  Congress,  and  whatever  might  require  the  appro- 
priation of  money.  The  e?  ecutive  power  itself  would  be  greatly 
diminished  by  the  cessation  of  actual  war.  Pardons  and  remissions 
of  forfeiture,  however,  would  still  be  within  Executive  control. 
In  what  spirit  and  temper  this  control  would  bo  execised,  can  be 
fairly  judged  of  by  the  past.  A  year  ago,  general  pardon  and  am- 
nesty, upon  specified  terms,  were  offered  to  all  except  certain  desig- 
nated classes,  and  it  was  at  the  same  time  made  known  that  the  ex- 
cepted classes  were  still  within  contemplation  of  special  clemency. 
During  the  year  many  availed  themselves  of  the  general  provision, 
and  many  more  would,  only  that  the  signs  of  bad  faith  in  some  led 
to  such  precautionary  measures  as  rendered  the  practical  process 
less  easy  and  certain.  During  the  same  time,  also,  special  pardons 
have  been  granted  to  individuals  of  excepted  classes,  and  no  vol- 
untary application  has  been  denied. 

Thus  practically  the  door  has  been  for  a  full  year  open  to  all,  ex- 
cept such  as  were  not  in  condition  to  make  free  choice,  that  is,  such 
as  were  in  custody  or  under  constraint.  It  is  still  so^  open  to  all, 
but  the  time  may  come,  probablyjwill  come,  when  public  duty  shall 


demand  that  it  be  closed,  and  that  in  re  vigorous  measures 

than  heretofore  shall  be  adopted. 

In  presenting  the  abandonment  of  armed  resistance  to  the  na- 
tional authority  on  the  pa>t  of  the  insurgents,  as  the  only  irdi^- 
pensable  condition  to  ending  the  war  on  the  part  of  the  govern- 
ment, 1  retract  nothing  heretofore  said  as  to  slavery.  I  repeat  the 
declaration  made  a  year  ago,  and  that  while  I  remain  in  my  pre- 
sent position,  !  shall  not  attempt  to  retract  or  modify  the  emanci- 
pation proclamation.  Nor  shall  I  return  to  slavery  any  pel 
who  is  free  by  the  terms  of  that  proclamation,  or  by  any  of  the 
acts  of  Congress. 

If  the  people  should,  by  whatever  mode  or  means,  make  it  an 
Executive  duty  to  re  enslave  such  persons,  another  and  not  I,  must 
be  their  instrument  to  perform  it. 

In  stating  a  single  condition  of  peace,  I  mean  simply  to  say  that 
the  war  will  cease  on  the  part  of  the  government,  whenever  it 
shall  have  ceased  on  the  part  of  those  who  began  it. 


peRmalife< 

PH  8.5 


